City comparison
Downey, CA is about 225 miles (350 km) from Fresno, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 275 miles, or about 4 h 30 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Downey, CA to Fresno, CA takes about 26 min, covering roughly 225 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Fresno has a population of 541,528, vs 113,052 in Downey — about 4.8× larger by population. By land area, Fresno covers about 115 sq mi vs 12 sq mi for Downey.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Downey | Fresno | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,814/mo | $1,227/mo | 47.8% higher in Downey |
| Median home value | $679,000 | $321,800 | 111.0% higher in Downey |
| Median household income | $84,236 | $63,001 | 33.7% higher in Downey |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 105.1 | 1.3% higher in Downey |
| Utilities index | 155.6 | 157.8 | 1.4% higher in Fresno |
| Transportation index | 104.4 | 100.7 | 3.7% higher in Downey |
| Healthcare index | 104.3 | 100.6 | 3.7% higher in Downey |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Downey, you'd need $76,698 in Fresno to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Fresno, CA is about 23.3% cheaper overall than Downey, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 75% higher in Downey than in Fresno. If you earn $80,000 in Downey, you'd need about $61,358 in Fresno to keep the same standard of living.